JVC Pro HD with FCP / FCE

[Drew Curran]

Originally Posted by Randall Brown

Ok I searched and looked for a workflow to edit 24P from the JVC with sound, without buying any other software and couldnt find anything. The workflow I found didnt keep sound.

So I ended up doing a lot of trial and error. Here is what I arrived at and other than MINOR tweaking of audio timing (over LONG clips ~1 hour) sync is perfect.

1. Capture from tape with DVHSCAP (you can get it at Apple Developer Site in the FireWire SDK)
2. Demux to m2v & aiff with MPEGStreamClip
3. Open m2V file with MPEFStreamClip and convert to Apple Intermediary Codec- DON'T change the frames per second, dont do any scaling
4. Open newly converted clip in Cinema tools. Play it back. It should playback faster than normal. If so proceed to step 5. If NOT you probally didnt demux it. I found some wierd things when I would convert the file with the audio.
5. Conform clip to 23.98 FPS in Cinema tools
6. Launch FCP 5+, and select easy set-up 720P 30P HDV AIC
7. Create a new sequence. Change the FPS setting to 23.98
8. Import the converted conformed file, as well as the AIFF file. Link the two.
9. Drop in timeline and play. Should be spot on without any rendering. if you see rendering bars. you most likely scaled it in MPEGStreamClip

I just used this workflow for 4 hours of footage, and it works. You will find that at the end of the each our you may need to sync a bit, I found that at the end of the hour I was off by about 19 frames. Wasnt hard to fix at all.

Your mileage may vary, but it worked for me! Any questions just ask. I tried to title it so it would search easily.

Thanks Randall

I was wondering why I wasn't getting any audio in FCP!

Does MPEGStreamClip remove the audio if you don't demux first?



Andrew.

[Cecilia Galiena]

I am trying to capture into my FCP 5.4 (powerbook G4) hd footage I shot with my JVC HD100UA camcorder at 720p 24. I don't need to also capture the time code, I just need the visuals and the audio. Can I do that? If so, what is the workflow?
I would appreciate your help immensely
Cecilia Galiena

[Rati Oneli]

I am wondering how they comapre to each other quality wise??? Lumiere costs $180 and DVHSCap is free. I see lots of pro guys using DVHSCap. It brings up a question: "Why the $#@$ did I pay $180 for something that I could get for free and it doesn't even do automatic scene detection?"

Also, I'm wondering if DVHSCap does automatic scene detection?

Thanks a lot guys

P.S. Can anyone post a complete workflow for DVHSCap and MPEG Streamclip to capture files into FCP 5? I've seen some helpful notes, but they don't seem complete. They don't mention demux option in DVHSCap etc.

[David Knaggs]

Hi Rati.

I don't believe DVHSCap has a function to detect a new scene. It doesn't have any "Help" info available, but in my experience it just captures everything (including across timecode breaks) from when you click "Capture from D-VHS" until you click the button again to stop capture.

And remember, as long as you apply "Fix Timecode Breaks" in MPEG Streamclip there should be no need to demux and re-synch because the conversions (given by MPEG Streamclip) should be in perfect synch. So there's actually no need to demux with DVHSCap - and perhaps that's why the other workflows you looked at seemed to be incomplete.

I've given a 21 step workflow for use of DVHSCap and MPEG Streamclip with FCP in post #8 of this thread:

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=70518

That one's for 25p and AIC of course. If you are looking at 24p, then simply change the "Frame Rate" in the MPEG Streamclip section to "23.976" and in the FCP section, under "Editing Timebase" select a number that reflects your 24p workflow such as "23.98".

Note: If you are going to convert 24p footage with MPEG Streamclip, I would strongly urge that you NOT capture across timecode breaks with DVHSCap (even though you can). Just capture one "take" at a time. I have a current 24p project where the cinematographer captures the footage on his own computer with DVHSCap, then burns the .m2t files onto a DVD-R and gives them to me. But he just captures the footage from an entire shot (sometimes up to 12 takes) all in one go to make up a single .m2t file. When I did the conversions with MPEG Streamclip (after fixing timecode breaks and typing in a frame rate of "23.976") I found that the early parts of the converted Quicktime were fine but that the later takes (after timecode breaks) had several repeat frames. So I went back to using HDVxDV for my 24p conversions. But I still use MPEG Streamclip for my 25p conversions. It's rock-solid with 25p. (This is all purely from my experience.)

But as Tim Dashwood (who I know from other posts only captures between timecode breaks) and others report great results using a framerate of 23.976 with MPEG Streamclip, I can only assume that capturing across several timecode breaks with DVHSCap was the likely cause of the problem with the repeat frames.

[Rati Oneli]

Thank you David! I haven't had a chance to test the setting yet - I've been in the field most of the time. I will report if it works for me.

[Rati Oneli]

In "Editing Timebase" you say to select 23.98... there is also an option for 24. Is 24 not good?

[Rati Oneli]

posted wrong information. my apologies

[David Knaggs]

Yes, 24p is good (my HDVxDV conversions are done in an exact 24p framerate) but because the MPEG Streamclip conversions are recommended to work with a "23.976" framerate, then "23.98" in FCP would be the closest match to that.

As I come from a PAL area, I only need to work in exact 24p and 25p, but I would imagine that 23.98 would be optimum in an NTSC area because it would be more compatible for converting to 29.97 (for showing on SD and HD TVs).

But it depends on what your needs are, of course (for example you might only be looking to transfer to film), and if you do want to work in an exact 24p editing timebase, just use Cinema Tools to conform your clips from 23.976 to 24 and then import them into FCP.

[Justin Ferar]

I've been reading about loss of footage that occurs when digitizing HDV. I was planning on purchasing two HD200s when available and the JVC HDV deck, and would love some clarification.

My workflow would be to shoot on mini DV, then digitze the entire tape in one shot from the HDV deck.

Will FCP lose the first 6 seconds and then digitize the rest?

Or will there be a gap before each start/stop?

Just trying to get all correct info before investing my $$. Thanks!

[Gunleik Groven]

AFAIK (I don't do HDV) - from reading threads here and elswhere - the gap is one sec + whatever you have set up as pre- and postroll in your capture presets.

This subject has been covered extensively many times.


Gunleik

[Ben Brainerd]

I believe that if you're shooting DV (Not HDV-SD) that the gap shoudn't be a problem.

However, if you're shooting HDV, yeah, you're gonna have gaps. Gunleik is correct, the gaps are based on what you have as a pre/post-roll time.

Depending on your shooting style, this may or may not be acceptable. When I shoot narrative work with my HD-100s, it's perfectly fine, since I preroll before each shot anyways. When I'm shooting weddings, gaps are not acceptable.

If you're shooting something that doesn't allow for any gaps, you may want to consider using AIC, which doesn't have a problem with the gaps.

[Justin Ferar]

Thanks for the response but still looking for a definitive answer. The workflow I mentioned earlier is for weddings.

So it sounds like FCP loses the first second of each cut even if the footage is digitized from the deck in one shot- not a batch digitize.

Can someone please confirm.

BTW- if this is true then I have to say HDV workflow is seriously impractical.

[Ben Brainerd]

For weddings, the definitive answer is: We're screwed.

I'm in the same boat, and definitely feel the pain. Native HDV is definitely not a practical option for shooting weddings or events. There's too much "Hey, look at that!" going on, and we need everything that's in our shots, and don't have the opportunity to preroll.

You will always lose at least a second or two between clips using Native HDV. Not a major problem with narrative work and such, since you'd be prerolling anyways, but definitely a killer for weddings and such. It has something to do with the GOPs and the way the TC blips when you start recording again.

For weddings, the solution I've found is to simply use AIC. No problems with the timecode gaps.

Now, bear in mind, all of this information is based on the HD-100/HD110. It's quite possible that the TC has been tweaked in the 200/250, although I doubt it.

[Justin Ferar]

Well, after reading everything there is to possibly read I have decided to go with the AJA Kona LH. I will digitize DVC Pro HD and avoid editing in HDV altogether.

[Shawn Kessler]

the answer is the DR HD 100 I have this works exellent